Bobbin alignment means

ABSTRACT

The instant invention relates to a bobbin alignment mechanism for use with bobbin handling equipment such as a bobbin winding machine. The alignment mechanism includes a plurality of alignment gates situated within the guideways of, say, a bobbin magazine to sequentially align the bobbin in the correct attitude within the magazine. The plurality of gates are sequentially movable from a bobbin holding position. Release of a downstream gate is actuated by movement of an upstream gate to its bobbin holding position under the weight of a bobbin supplied by a distribution chute above the upstream gate. Means are included on the distribution chute to release a holding catch engaging the upstream gate to release said upstream gate to its released position and thereby release of a bobbin to the downstream gate as the distribution chute is pivoted across the cells of said magazine.

United States Patent 1 1 Morton 111 3,834,427 [451 Sept. 10, 1974 Inventor:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

US. Cl 139/224 A, 221/295, 2'21/298 Int. Cl. D03j 1/12 Field of Search 139/224 A, 232, 251;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/1956 Hallman 242/355 A 12/1957 Richert 193/32 1/1966 Thatcher et al. 139/251 Primary ExaminerI-lenry S. Jaudon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Albert P. Davis; Burnett W.

Norton [5 7] ABSTRACT The instant invention relates to a bobbin alignment mechanism for use with bobbin handling equipment such as a bobbin winding machine. The alignment mechanism includes a plurality of alignment gates situated within the guideways of, say, a bobbin magazine to sequentially align the bobbin in the correct attitude within the magazine. The plurality of gates are sequentially movable from a bobbin holding position. Release of a downstream gate is actuated by movement of an upstream gate to its bobbin holding position under the weight of a bobbin supplied by a distribution chute above the upstream gate. Means are included on the distribution chute to release a holding catch engaging the upstream gate to release said upstream gate to its released position and thereby release of a bobbin to the downstream gate as the distribution chute is pivoted across the cells of said magazine.

5 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures Pmamin ww 3.834.427

SHEET 30? 4 I FIG.5

BOBBIN ALIGNMENT MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to bobbin handling machines and in particular to bobbin alignment mechanisms in a bobbin handling machine.

The term strand as used herein includes a strand of any material such as a yarn, which is suitable for winding onto a bobbin for subsequent use in a textile machine such as, for example, a loom.

Looms, such as box looms, are well known in the art and frequently it is desired to utilize such looms to interweave strands of varying color or count into a particular fabric. The full bobbinmagazine of the loom is therefore divided into separate cells with each of the cells designated for storage of a particular color or count of a strand. The configuration of the magazine cells, however, is such that as a bobbin enters the cell from a distribution chute above the cells the bobbin may not become properly aligned for delivery to the shuttle. As a result the bobbin in such a misaligned or cocked position will cause a faulty transfer. In other cases either the tip or butt end of the bobbin passes too rapidly through the guides of the magazine and results in disengagement of the bobbin from the guide causing the bobbin to fall to the floor or into the loom mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention in brief, relates to an apparatus for sequentially aligning a bobbin in a cell of a magazine in a bobbin handling machine. The alignment means includes at least one first alignment gate and at least one second alignment gate wherein release of the second gate to a bobbin releasing position is responsive to a bobbin engaging the first gate. The alignment gates serve to positively and sequentially align a bobbin during its travel through the magazine cell so as to avoid the possibility of a faulty transfer of the bobbin to the shuttle.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means for assuring proper alignment of a bobbin for subsequent use of the strand wound thereon.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide means aforesaid for sequentially aligning a bobbin in a magazine to assure that said bobbin is correctly positioned for subsequent delivery to the shuttle of a loom.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of a bobbin winding machine and storage magazine incorporating the alignment means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bobbin winding machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic prespective view of the bobbin sensing and distribution means of the winding machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan detailed view of the bobbin holding and release mechanism of the winding machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the bobbin holding and release mechanism viewed along lines 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of the bobbin alignment means of the present invention viewed along lines 6-6 of FIG. 1 and illustrating in solid lines and in phantom the upperand lower alignment gates in differing operative positions assumed by these gates as bobbins are controlled thereby;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 illustrating the upper and lower alignment gates in still a further operative position as bobbins are controlled thereby;

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the upper gate catching mechanism shown in its locking position;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the upper gate catching mechanism moved to its releasing position;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the trigger mechanism of the present invention shown in its lower alignment gate releasing position.

FIG. 11 is also a top plan view of the trigger mechanism of the present invention shown in its retracted position from the lower alignment gate releasing position shown in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Since the alignment mechanism of the present invention operates in cooperation with elements found in prior art winding machines, a brief description of the overall structure of such winding machines is included herein. A detailed description of those elements which do not intimately cooperate with the elements introduced by this invention is not included in the instant disclosure but may be found in prior disclosures of these elements, some of which as referenced herein.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 which show the overall structure of the winding machine. In operation of the winding machine a bobbin B is forwarded and positioned with the butt end adjacent to a sensing pin 10, by a mechanism not shown. The sensing pin 10 may be such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,074 and functions to sense the depth of a bore 12, as shown in FIG. 1, in the butt end of the bobbin; the depth sensed being operative to cause a desired strand, such as of a particular color or count, to be forwarded by a forwarding mechanism, not shown, and wound upon the bobbin. A winding station 14, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,638,936 is positioned beneath the sensing pin 10 and secured to the housing 16. The station 14 receives the bobbin forwarded by a forwarding mechanism, not shown, following sensing of the bore 12 by pin 10, for winding of the strand thereon. The winding station includes a pair of spaced apart cooperating chucks l8 and 20 rotatably secured to the housing 16. Chuck 18 is connected to a motor, not shown, to engage the butt end of the bobbin and drive the bobbin in cooperation with chuck 20 which engages the apical end of the bobbin for rotation therewith.

Following winding of the bobbin B, the bobbin is released from the winding station and falls to a rest plate 22 pivotally journaled on shaft 23 in a distribution chute 24 carrying a cam 25 thereon. The shaft 23 is fixedly secured to the housing 16 and the chute 24 is rotatably journaled about the shaft for pivotal movement thereof.

In response to the operation of the sensing pin sensing the depth of the bore of a bobbin, the distribution chute 24 is pivoted to a preselected cell of cells 26, shown in FIG. 2, of the magazine M and the rest plate is released by means, to be later discussed, to permit the bobbin to fall to an upper alignment gate 28 of such preselected cell. The bobbin is subsequently released to a lower alignment gate 30 in the same cell in a fashion also to be discussed hereinafter.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 in order to more fully describe the interrelationship of the sensing pin 10 and the distribution chute 24 which cooperate to direct a bobbin having a particular strand wound thereon to a preselected cell 26 in magazine M.

As shown in FIG. 3 a cam follower 32 is rotatably connected to a cam link 34 by means of stub shaft 36 and engages a cam 38 fixed to a cam shaft 40 rotatable in a clockwise direction, as shown by the arrow 41. The cam link 34 is pivotally connected at one end to actuator rod 42 by means of a pin 44 with the opposing end of the actuator rod 42 pivotally connected to a crank arm 46 by pin 48. A scallop plate 50 having notches therein is fixedly secured to the actuator rod 42 by means of a rivet 62. A fan 64 having strand guides 66 therein is pivotally connected by a pin 68 to a support member 70 which in turn is fixedly secured to the housing 16. The fan 64 is further connected to the actuator rod 42 by means of a connecting rod 72 suitably secured to the fan, and to the actuator rod by means of a clevis joint 74. Thus, as the actuator rod 42 is shifted in an axial direction as shown by the arrow 75 by rotation of the cam 38 engaging cam follower 32, and thereby pivoting the cam link 34 secured to the rod 42, the fan 64 is likewise pivoted about pin 68.'With attention still to FIG. 3, the crank arm 46 is rotatably journaled about a support shaft 76 which is fixedly mounted upon a support member 78 in turn secured to the housing 16. A crank link member 80 is rotatably journaled in the crank arm 46 and the distribution chute 24 to interconnect these two elements and to pivot the chute 24 across the cells 26 in response to the motion imparted to the cam follower 32 by cam 38. This motion causes the actuator rod 42 to shift in an axial direction and thereby swing the crank arm 46 about shaft 76 and thus enables the chute 24 to move across the top of the cells of magazine M.

As the actuator rod 42 is shifted in the axial direction the scallop plate 50 is likewise shifted to a retracted position and then, as the cam 38 continues its clockwise rotation, the actuator rod 42 is returned under the tensioning force of a spring connected to a collar 92 fixed to the rod-42 and to a holding member 94 secured to the housing 16. As the actuator rod is returned the distribution chute 24 likewise returns and is then aligned over a preselected cell 26 of the magazine M in a manner now to be discussed.

With reference again to FIG. 3 a second cam 96 which also rotates in a clockwise direction, is carried on the cam shaft 40 and in engagement with a cam follower 98. The cam follower 98 is in turn carried on a bell crank member 100 which is pivotally connected to an end of link member by means ofa pin 112. The opposing end of the link member 110 includes a slot 114 which slideably engages a pin 116 fixed to an end of a second bell crank member 118. A spring 120 interconnects the opposing end of the link member 110 and the second bell crank member 118 so that as the bell crank member 100 follows the second cam 96 the motion imparted thereto is transmitted to the second bell crank member 118 through link member 110. The second bell crank 118 is fixedly journaled on shaft 122 in order to rotate the shaft 122 in response to the move ment imparted to the second bell crank 118, just discussed. A link is fixedly journaled to one end of the shaft 122 and pivotally connected to the sensing pin 10 by means of a pin 132. Thus, as the shaft 122 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction the sensing pin 10 is urged into engaging relationship with the bore 12 of the bobbin B and senses the depth thereof. The slot 114 in the link member ll0 provides an override so that the shifting of the sensing pin 10 is arrested when the sensing pin reaches the full depth of the bore of the bobbin. A pawl link member 134 is rotatably journaled to the other end of the shaft 122 and includes an outwardly extending tab 136 for engagement with the second bell crank member 118 as the second bell crank member is pivoted by rotation of the shaft 122. A torsion spring 137 is fixedly secured to the pawl link member 134 and about the shaft 122 and a second spring 138 is fixedly connected to the second bell crank member 1 18 and to the housing in order to urge the cam follower 98 into engagement with cam 96. An engagement pin 140 is fixedly secured to the pawl link member 134 and as the tab 136 is engaged by the second bell crank member 118 the engagement pin 140 is raised against the tensioning force of spring 137 and positioned adjacent one of the notches 60 in scallop plate 50, which is in the retracted position. The specific notch with which the engagement pin 140 is aligned is dependent upon the depth of the bore 12 in the bobbin B. Thus, as the scallop plate 50 is. returned from the retracted position under the force of the spring 90 the engagement pin 140 engages the notch and thereby aligns the distribution chute 24 over a particular cell 26 in the magazine M.

The fan 64 likewise pivotally returns with the return of the actuator rod 42 and, upon engagement of the scallop plate 50 with the pin 140, properly alignes one of the notches 66 carrying a preselected strand therein with the forwarding mechanism, not shown.

After the distributing chute 24 has been positioned over a preselected cell and thebobbin wound with a strand, the bobbin is conveyed onto the rest plate 22 positioned within the distribution chute 24, more clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This rest plate 22 acts as a floor for the distribution chute 24 and is tripped at the appropriate moment to release the bobbin B within distribution chute 24 for free fall into its correct cell 26 of magazine M. Rest plate 22 is provided with a notch and is pivotally journaled on shaft 23. A sleeve 152, having an outwardly extending inclined cam 154 with a cam end portion 155 and further having an outwardly extending tab 156, is rotatably carried on shaft 23 within the chute 24. A spring 158 is connected to the tab 156 and the rest plate 22 to urge a second outwardly extending tab 157 from the sleeve 152, through rotation of the sleeve 152, into engagement with the end portion 160 of rest plate 22 and thereby radially position the inclined cam 154 adjacent the opening of notch 150. A release rod 162, shown in FIG. 4 is spaced apart and interconnected with shaft 23 by means of bracket 164 having a slot 166 therein. A collar 168 is connected on release rod 162 and carries an opposing sides thereof a cam follower 170 and a guide pin 172, as shown in FIG. 4, in sliding engagement with the slot 166. Release rod 162 is further connected to a strand carrier mechanism, not shown, and may be such as described in US. Pat. No. 2,638,936, for forwarding an end of the strand wound upon a bobbin to a yarn end holding mechanism. The strand end holding mechanism serves to hold and guide the strand end around the magazine M as the bobbin passes through the magazine and, the strand carrier, when actuated, acts to shift the release rod 162 and thus trip the rest plate 22 in a manner to be later discussed.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, which more clearly show the magazine alignment means of the present invention, an upper releasable alignment gate 28, including a rotatable member 176, extending through the magazine housing 177, is rotatably journaled in a cell 26 of the magazine M. For purposes of illustration the alignment means of the present invention will be described with reference to a single cell but it is to be understood that multiple cells within magazine M each having the alignment means of the present invention are contemplated. Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7 a catch member 178 is pivotally connected at a right angle by means of a pin 180 to a carrying member 190 which is secured to a member 192 fixed in magazine housing 177 and spaced apart from rotatable member 176, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The catch 178 is pivotable along the axis of member 192 and includes a hook 194, having a caming portion 196 for engagement with the gate 28. A spring 198 is connected at one end to the carrying member 190 and engages and urges the catch to a position for engagement with the upper alignment gate. The catch 178 further includes a portion 200 for engagement with the cam member on the chute 24 to release the gate 28 as the distribution chute 24 pivots across the cells. The gate release action is best shown in the sequence of FIGS. 8 and 9 and will be described in further detail hereinafter.

A trigger 212 is pivotally attached to the rotatable member 176 on the side of the magazine housing 177 opposite from the catch member by a trigger pin 214 so that the trigger 212 is rotatable with the member 176 and pivotal along the axis thereof. A spring 216 is connected to the trigger 212 and to the magazine housing 177 in any suitable fashion so as to urge the upper alignment gate 28 to its closed position and out of engagement with the catch 178, as shown in FIG. 8.

A lower releasable alignment gate 30 is pivotably positioned within the cell 26 downstream from the upper gate 28 by means of a rotatable member 220 extending through the magazine housing 177 as in the fashion of the upper gate 28. An end of an extension member 222 is fixedly secured to the rotatable member 220 on the opposing side of the magazine housing 177 from the cell 26. The opposite end of extension member 222 is in turn pivotally connected. to a link member 224 by means of a rivet 226. Link member 224 is positioned for engagement with the trigger 212 and comprises link segments 228 and 230 having adjacent portions and a spring 232 interconnecting the link segments. The spring 232 is fixedly secured to each of the segments 228 and 230 by securing the end portions of the spring 232 between outwardly extending spring holding collars 234 and 236 positioned about each of the segments 228 and 230, respectively. Each of the spring holding collars is held in place by the co-action of the compression of spring 232 and of pins 238 and 240 extending through each of the segments 228 and 230 respectively, on the opposing side of the collars 234 and 236 from the spring 232, and wherein pin 240 is in sliding engagement with a slot 242 in link segment 228 and pin 238 is in sliding engagement with a slot, not shown, in link segment 230. With this feature an operator may readily remove a bobbin for inspection by moving of the gate 30 past its normal released position without incurring damage to the gate due to the override provided by compressing of the spring 232.

A spring 243 is connected to the link segment 230 of link member 224 and to a latch plate 244 secured to the magazine housing to urge the lower alignment gate 30 towards a holding position to catch a bobbin, as shown in FIG. 7. Link segment 230 includes an abutment 250 thereon which is engaged by the latch plate 244 as the lower gate moves downward under the weight of a bobbin to prevent the weight of the bobbin from overriding the force of the spring 243 and thereby cause premature release of the gate 30. The spring 243 returns the lower gate 30 to its bobbin intercepting position following release of a bobbin. An arrest pin 252 is fixedly secured to the magazine housing 177 beneath the link segment 228 of link 224 to prevent the lower gate from returning past its bobbin intercepting position by limiting the travel of the link member 224.

In operation the cam 38 is rotated in a clockwise direction and thereby shifts the actuator rod 42 and the scallop plate 50 in an axial direction as well as pivoting the fan 64 in a clockwise direction. As the actuator rod is shifted the engagement pin 140 is released and returns to the retracted position, shown in FIG. 3, under urging of torsion spring 137, and the fan 64 is pivoted along with the crank arm 46 which in turn moves the distribution chute 24 across the cells 26 of magazine M. As the cam 38 continues to rotate it allows the actuator rod and the scallop plate to return under the tensioning force'of spring urging the cam follower 32 into engagement with the cam 38. Concurrently with returning of the actuator rod 42 rotation of the second cam 96 causes pivoting of the second bell crank member 118, and hence rotation of the shaft 122, by the motion imparted to the bell crank member 100 and the link connecting the crank member 100, to the second bell crank member 118. As the shaft 122 is rotated the link 130, connected to the shaft and the sensing pin 10, urges the sensing pin 10 into the bore 12 of a bobbin B and senses the depth thereof. Simultaneously the engagement pin 140, carried on the pawl link member 134 secured to the shaft 122, is raised to a height dependent upon the depth of the bore 12 of the bobbin and engages one of the notches 60 of the scallop plate 50 as the scallop plate returns with the return of the actuator rod 42. In this manner the distribution chute 24, returning across the cells by means of the pivoting of the crank 46 interconnecting the actuator rod 42 and the chute 24, is positioned and aligned over a particular cell 26 in the magazine M. The returning actuator rod 42 likewise causes pivoting back of the fan 64 until the scallop plate is engaged by the engagement pin which properly aligns and end of a preselected strand carried in one of the guides 66 to be forwarded for winding upon the bobbin.

Following sensing of the depth of the bore 12 of the bobbin B further rotation of the cam 96 causes retraction of the sensing pin and return of the second bell crank member 18 away from the tab 136 under urging of a spring 138. The bobbin is then forwarded to the winding station 14 and is engaged by chucks 18 and 20 and wound with the strand forwarded by the forwarding mechanism, not shown. Following the winding operation the bobbin is released from the chucks and falls to the rest plate 22 in the distribution chute 24. The bobbin is later released from the rest plate 22 to fall to the upper alignment gate 28 by actuation and axially shifting of the release rod 162 by the strand carrier mechanism, not shown. In operation and as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the cam follower 170 on collar 168, guided by the guide pin 172 riding in slot 166, engages cam portion 155 of the inclined cam 154 and is urged beneath the inclined cam to the notch 150 in the rest plate 22, whereupon the rest plate swings downward to release the bobbin to the upper alignment gate 28. The release rod 162 then continues its axial movement and'the cam follower thereby travels across the notch 150 to engage and bias the rest plate upward once again to the locked and bobbin holding position. The release rod 162 is then reset by axially shifting the rod in the opposite direction whereupon the cam follower engages and passes over the inclined cam 154 to its original position adjacent the rest plate on the opposing side of the notch 150.

When the bobbin engages the upper gate 28 in the cell 26 the upper gate is rotated to a downward or first bobbin holding position by the weight of the bobbin counteracting the force of the spring 216 and is engaged and held in such first bobbin holding position by means of the catch member 178, as shown in FIG. 8. Concurrently trigger 212 upwardly rotates along with rotatable member 176 from the position shown in phantom in FIG. 6 to that shown insolid lines and thus engages and cams link member 224 away from the latch plate 244, as shown in FIG. 10, to disengage the link member from the latch plate. Upon disengagement the lower alignment gate 30 is free to swing downward under the weight of a second bobbin counteracting the tension of spring 243 and thereby release the bobbin as shown in FIG. 6. Upon the bobbin release the lower gate 30 is then returned to its holding position under the tensioning force of the spring 243. Following engagement of the trigger 212 with the link member 224 the trigger 212 is pivoted away from engagement with the link member 224 along the axis of rotatable memher 176 under tensioning of spring 216, as shown in FIG. 11. This prevents premature engagement of the returning link member 224 by the trigger as the lower gate 30 is returned to its holding position under tensioning of spring 243. Gate 30 is then again in a position to intercept a bobbin and move to its holding position when a bobbin is subsequently released from the upper alignment gate 28. This occurs upon release of the catch member 178 in response to engaging of the outwardly extending portion 200 of the catch member 178 by cam member 25, as shown in FIG. 7, as the distribution chute 24 is pivoted acrossthe cells 26.

Following release of a bobbin from the upper gate the upper gate is returned to its closed position by means of spring 216. As the upper gate 28 is returned it engages the caming surface of the hook portion'l94 of the catch 178 and pivots the catch member 178 away from the returning gate to allow the gate to fully return to its closed or bobbin intercepting position. When the gate is fully returned the catch 178 then returns to its locking position under urging of spring 198 so as to intercept the gate 28 as it subsequently moves downward to its bobbin holding position under the weight of another bobbin.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that should a sufficient number of bobbins be supplied to a particular cell that the cell may become filled. When this occurs the bottom alignment gate 30 is held in its released position but since bobbins downstream of the lower gate were held and aligned by the lower gate prior to the cell becoming filled bobbins upstream from these bobbins are properly aligned since they rest one upon the other in the form of a stack.

When this invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment in a particular environment, various changes may be apparent to one skilled in the art and the invention is therefore not to be limited to such embodiment or environment except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for alignment of a bobbin in a strand processing machine comprising, at least one bobbin cell having a first alignment means movable from a bobbin engaging position to a first bobbin holding and aligning position in response to said engaging by the bobbin, said first alignment means being further releasable from said first bobbin holding and aligning position to a first bobbin releasing position, a second alignment means positioned downstream from said first alignment means and releasable from a second bobbin holding and aligning position to a second bobbin releasing position, means to release said second alignment means to said second bobbin releasing position responsive to the movement of said first alignment means from said bobbin engaging position to the first bobbin holding and aligning position, means to release said first alignment means to said first bobbin releasing position, means to return said first alignment means from said first bobbin releasing position to the bobbin engaging position, and means to return said second alignment means from said second bobbin releasing positions to said second bobbin holding and aligning position.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first alignment means comprises a first alignment gate and said second alignment means comprises a second alignment gate, and including a first holding means to releasably hold said first gate in said first bobbin holding and aligning position, second holding means to hold said second gate in the second bobbin holding and aligning position, and wherein said means to release said second gate to said second bobbin releasing position includes means on the first gate responsive to moving of said first gate to said first bobbin holding and aligning position.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first holding means includes a catch on said first gate movable from a position for engaging and holding the first gate in the first bobbin holding and aligning position to a position for releasing said first gate to said first bobbin releasing position.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including a bobbin guide, wherein said first gate includes a first member rotatably journaled in said guide and said second gate includes a second member rotatably journaled in rotate with said first member and along the axis thereof to engage said link and disengage the link from the latch plate, and including resilient means connected to said link to urge the link to engage the latch plate.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including overcenter means connected to said trigger to pivot the latch along the axis of said first rotatable member following engagement of said latch with said link. 

1. Apparatus for alignment of a bobbin in a strand processing machine comprising, at least one bobbin cell having a first alignment means movable from a bobbin engaging position to a first bobbin holding and aligning position in response to said engaging by the bobbin, said first alignment means being further releasable from said first bobbin holding and aligning position to a first bobbin releasing position, a second alignment means positioned downstream from said first alignment means and releasable from a second bobbin holding and aligning position to a second bobbin releasing position, means to release said second alignment means to said second bobbin releasing position responsive to the movement of said first alignment means from said bobbin engaging position to the first bobbin holding and aligning position, means to release said first alignment means to said first bobbin releasing position, means to return said first alignment means from said first bobbin releasing position to the bobbin engaging position, and means to return said second alignment means from said second bobbin releasing positions to said second bobbin holding and aligning position.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first alignment means comprises a first alignment gate and said second alignment means comprises a second alignment gate, and including a first holding means to releasably hold said first gate in said first bobbin holding and aligning position, second holding means to hold said second gate in the second bobbin holding and aligning position, and wherein said means to release said second gate to said second bobbin releasing position includes means on the first gate responsive to moving of said firsT gate to said first bobbin holding and aligning position.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first holding means includes a catch on said first gate movable from a position for engaging and holding the first gate in the first bobbin holding and aligning position to a position for releasing said first gate to said first bobbin releasing position.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including a bobbin guide, wherein said first gate includes a first member rotatably journaled in said guide and said second gate includes a second member rotatably journaled in the guide and wherein said second holding means includes a latch plate, a link connected to said second member for movement in a plane substantially perpindicular to the axis of said second member upon rotation of the second member and having a portion adapted to engage said latch plate to hold said second gate in the further holding and aligning position, and further wherein said means on the first gate comprises a trigger pivotally connected to said first rotatable member to rotate with said first member and along the axis thereof to engage said link and disengage the link from the latch plate, and including resilient means connected to said link to urge the link to engage the latch plate.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including over-center means connected to said trigger to pivot the latch along the axis of said first rotatable member following engagement of said latch with said link. 